I know what you're thinking. Isn't it a touch soon to be talking about autumn/winter 2024 fashion trends? For those of us who see fashion for all that it is and all that it can be—a form of expression, a facet of your personality, and in my own experience, one of the reasons I get out of bed in the morning—it never feels too soon. And I can say with certainty that designers have given us a lot to look forward to next season. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't find writing this—what has become the most important story I pen each year—hard, because I do. No less because of the blank page I'm presented with at the beginning of the process—by the time I close my laptop, I'll have written around 5,000 words distilling the most noteworthy trends that stand out from the 8,000 autumn/winter 2024 looks—but because of the impact it could have when out in the world. And the world right now is a very difficult place to be. Like anyone with the privilege of having an online voice, regardless of the subject matter to which you speak, it feels remiss of me not to first acknowledge the conflict around us. Wars are raging and some of the most crucial governmental elections of our time lie ahead. I admit that writing about what I do sometimes feels frivolous in comparison to the daily headlines I read on the BBC. Still, along with hopes for peace, I hope this feature affords you some gentle relief for a moment—the same relief I was afforded in writing it.